Apush period 1 overview from fiveable

Columbus

An Italian explorer who sailed for Spain, landing in the Bahamas and discovering the New World in 1492.

Encomienda System

A labor system established by the Spanish in the New World to enslave Natives for resource extraction.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of goods, ideas, plants, animals, and diseases between the Old World and the New World.

Francisco Pizarro

A Spanish conquistador who conquered the Incan Empire and obtained vast amounts of gold and silver.

Hernán Cortés

A Spanish conquistador who led the conquest of the Aztec Empire.

Jamestown

The first permanent English settlement in North America, established in 1607.

The Black Legend

A term describing the inhumane practices carried out by the Spanish against Native peoples.

Treaty of Tordesillas

A 1494 agreement between Spain and Portugal dividing newly discovered lands.

Maize

A term used for corn, a significant crop introduced to the Old World from the New World.

Agricultural Revolution

A significant change that occurred due to the introduction of new crops and farming practices through the Columbian Exchange.

Smallpox

A disease brought by Europeans that caused millions of Native American deaths.

Bartolomé de las Casas

A Spanish missionary who advocated for the rights of Natives and criticized the Encomienda System.

Joint-stock companies

Business entities created for the purpose of funding colonies and exploration.

Slave labor system

The system of using enslaved people to perform labor, which succeeded the Encomienda System.

Rival European Powers

The competing nations, including Spain, England, France, and Portugal, during the age of exploration.

Environmental impacts

Significant changes to ecosystems due to European exploration and resource extraction.